I was unable to attend today's service but
was fortunate to have John's notes, so I could enjoy the service at home and
think on it.
Call to Worship - (Mary J Scifres,
Abingdon 2016)
Vulnerable and naked, we came into this
world. Vulnerable and naked, God came to us on that long-ago Christmas morn.
Let us come into God’s presence, vulnerable and naked in spirit, knowing that
we are safe and secure here.
In the wilderness of life, we are not
alone.
God is with us, even in the midst of our
loneliness.
On the treacherous paths, God’s guidance is
ours.
We will walk in God’s ways of wisdom and
truth.
Come to hear. Come to learn. Come to the
hiding place of God.
Here we find grace. Here we find love. Here
we will worship and pray.
I have copied The Call to Worship in
full because I think it encapsulates much of our situation before
God.
I'm also very aware of the details of the
crucifixion at this time. God has always reached out in love to us but our
response has often been unbelievably ungrateful and unappreciative. Sometimes
we reject his offer outright and at other times we think that we can improve
upon it. But when Jesus offered his whole life, to teach, to heal, to guide, to
be an example to us in how to live a whole life: when he set us free from
the shackles of "should" and "ought" into a life of freedom
and liberty our response was not only unbelievable but also monstrous. We
killed him! And if he came again today we would do it again. We are so blind
and weak!
Hymn 119: “I sing the almighty power
of God” stresses the almighty creative power, obvious in the
environment around us: the same creative power which can transform us and lead
us on a straight, steady path but instead of admitting our vulnerability and
opening ourselves to the life-giving work of the Creator of everything, we
become defensive, close down and prevent grace from entering in to heal and
nurture.
John's Opening Prayer
"Faithful God, strengthen us for the
journey ahead. Guide us with your knowledge and your love. Send your Spirit to
drive us and guide us where we need to go— ever-closer to you and to your ways
through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord Amen."
Goes to the essence: 'closer to you'. That's
where we find that peace that we search everywhere else for.
And what a world it would be if
everyone who lived could admit their vulnerability, open themselves to be
healed and draw close to one who is Light and Love, so that we could all say,
every minute of every day:
As we have been loved faithfully, let us
share this love with one another.
Peace be with you!
And also with you! What a world it would be!
Hymn 412: “God sends us his Spirit” speaks of
the way we become aware of God with us. Through the Comforter. Stay still and
quiet and you will know the presence which gives assurance that you are loved
and cared for. And when it happens, the world changes.
These words in the Communion Service:
"Are you hungry for God? Come to the bread of life. Are you in need of
forgiveness? Come to the table of grace. Are you empty and alone? Come to the
feast of love. Come, even when naked and vulnerable, for here we are covered
with abundant grace and filled with the goodness of God." are an
invitation that is not only true for the table to which all are invited but to
the grace which is offered freely at all times to all people.
We don't have to beg. God is
generously offering all this and more. The readings:
Genesis 2: 15-17; 3:1-7: Romans 5: 12-21 and Matthew 4:1-11. All focus
on sin, its introduction into the world, and Jesus dealing with it.
I think about this a lot. Firstly, many so
called sins are really a breach of some cultural rule about which God is not
concerned. My thought is that God is not like we are - offended at the
slightest thing - but saddened at the space that is put between us and that
Love he is, by our attitudes that shape our behaviour. We don't seek
forgiveness to avoid some penalty, we are asking to come back to that closeness
with God that is our true place and which we forego through seeking our own
selfish way.
In his sermon, John spoke clearly
about this:
"This is the matter of our spiritual
nature, of our soul, which is the essence of life. It is to this aspect of our
human nature, which marks our relationship with our Creator, the Eternal One,
that we honour and strive to keep alive. But there will be many occasions when
body and soul make a journey into the wilderness. From birth to the time of our
return to God, we will have ample opportunities to experience a journey that
will lead us into and, hopefully, out of life's wilderness.
We are called to view our journeys into the
wilderness, or wilderness wanderings, as times of testing, as times in which
God prepares us for a task. We may also view the wilderness as a place where
the spiritual strength and stamina of our souls is refined and strengthened.
Life’s wilderness experiences do test our faith. We are exhorted to resist
temptation from the power of sin and evil forces that seek to dominate our
lives.
More to the point, our faith is tested to
see if we are anchored in God's authority and ultimate power. And as
Christians, in the wilderness, we recognize the triumph of Jesus Christ over
the power of sin and death-Jesus Christ who in human form experienced times of
testing and temptation just like we do.
And later: "How do we
find our way out of the wilderness? Jesus' experience in the wilderness is the
key. Our Lord's experience demonstrates that there are spiritual tools
available to us as we go through the wilderness. These tools are prayer,
fasting, and scripture."
The last hymns : Hymn 569: “Guide me,
O my great Redeemer" and Hymn 779: “May the feet of God walk with you” and the
benediction all focused on the way to tread a true path: by staying close to
that which is Love, Light and Peace.
.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment